Snap-on ornamental grille guard



Patented Sept. 27, 1938 UNITED o F- icE "2,131,659. SNAP-N oRNAM'ENTAL GUARD George 'Albert'Lyon, Allenhurst; N.- J.: Application July 29; weasel-in No." 156.284

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a snap on ornamental 'grilleguard or impact member, and more particularly to an ornamental biunper accessory which is adapted to be snapped into desired .po-

sition on a vehicle bumper to increase the protection alforded by the latter. 5

The ordinary motor vehicle of the'present day is provided with a front and rear impact member which is commonly known as a bumper.

16 These impact members or bumpers afford a sub-. stantial measure of protection to the frontand rear of the motor vehicle but it has been found that'in many instances a collision or accident occurs in which some obstacle extends over the 1-5 top of the impact member or bumper and damages a portion of the car. This has been found particularly true with respect to the front impact member or bumper. In View of the fact'that many motor vehicles of the present day are 20 provided with an ornamental cast grille radiator front which is relatively expensive to manufacture and costly to replace, it has been-found 'de' v sirable in many instances to providean aux iliary impact member on thefront bumper.- For 5 such an auxiliary impact member'to be "commerc-ially satisfactory, it is' desirable that it be constructed in such a man'ner that it will-with"- stand any ordinary shock or collision and'it' must als'o 'be capable of being readily and quickly 30 mounted'on the bumper.

'It is an'object of 'this-invention'to provide a novel impact member possessing the above high ly desirable characteristics. "Another object of this invention is to provide 3 a novel auxiliary impact memberto be mounted on the usual form of vehicle bumper which is economical to manufacture and which is rugged and reliable in'use. v 5

A further object of this invention is to pro- 5 vide a novel snap-on impact member for vehicle.

bumpers. I

A still further object of this invention .is' to provide a novel form of bumper accessory'having novel means thereon for detachably secur 5 ing the accessory to a vehicle bumper. 5

Another and still further object of this invention is to provide a novel snap-on ornamental grille guard and a novel method and means for mounting the same on a vehicle bumper.

50" "The novel features which I believes to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, both as to its organization and manner of construction, together with further 5 objects and advantages thereof may best be understoodby. reference to the following description,.. taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing; in'whic'h; 5

Figure 1 is a front elevational. view of a snap: on,. ornamental grille guard .orimpact member 5' mountedjon a. vehicle bumper; Y 7

Figure'Z is a side elevational view partly in cross-section of the ornamental grille guard and binnper of Figure 1, which shows'the means by which the grille guard is mounted on the bumper; 10

'Figure,3 is a rear view of the ornamental grille guard and the central portion of the bump.- er ofFigure 1; I s I Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the manner in which the grille guard is mounted on the vehicle bumper.

In .the various figures of thedr'awing, an embodiment [of this invention is illustrated .which include's'an inverted V-shape impact member II] mountedion a vehicle bumper II. The impact member l0 'is'formed of spring .steel which is of substantiallyinverted'V-shape. The thicknesseof thematerial-near the apex I2 of the member is slightlylesslthan the thickness of the legs in order to render the member IIl'more flexible at the apex. This does not detract from the. impact resistingproperties of the member Ill since the substantial burden of any impact or collision is borne by. the legs. I3 0f the member. Near the lower vend-of the legs I3 of the impact member. Illfthe rear of 'the legs are cut or shaped to intimately overlie thefront face of the'bumper I lgwhen themember I0 has been mounted in desiredposition. ,This portion of each le'g I3 which intimately overlies the front face of .bump e r II has been given the reference numeral I4. At opposite ends of portion I4 of .each leg, anv obIiquely. downwardly extendingjtooth I5 and an obnqueiy upwardly e'xtendingtooth I6 is provided. As may be seen bestin Figure 3. of the 40 drawing. teeth. I5. and I6 of the legs I3 are adapted -to extend behind and engage with the bumper 'II thereby to secure the impact member. 'Iflfinde'sired' position on the bumper I I.

'Aswill be observed from a cursory inspe n of Figure '3"ofthe drawing, complementary teeth I 5jand I6 of each leg I 3, are spaced so-that .the minimumdistance between each tooth I5 and its complementary'tooth I6. is greater than the vertical widtho'f'bumper' I I. The'impact mem- 5'6 ber III "'is retained infdesire'd position on the bumper I l by virtue of the. fact thatthe vertical distance" between each tooth I5 and its complementary tooth I6 is less than the vertical width dimension of the bumper I I.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing, the manner in which the teeth l5 and I6 are hooked over the bumper l I will be described. The impact member I in its normal unflexed position prior to being mounted on bumper II is of the shape shown by the full line in Figure 4. It is to be noted that the legs [3 of the member II] in their unflexed position diverge at an angle greater than that maintained by the legs [3 in their mounted position, shown in Figure l. The legs l3 are now sprung together until they have assumed the position shown by the dotted line in Figure 4 and the full line in Figure 5. In this position the vertical distance between each pair of complemen tary teeth is greater than the vertical width dif mension of bumper l l. While the impact member I0 is in this position (that is as-shownby the dotted line in Figure 4 and the full line in Figure it is moved into desired position against the front face of bumper H, the teeth I5 and H5 inthe same as the vertical width dimension of modifications as' fall within the true spirit and bumper H, (as may be seen best in Figure 3). The auxiliary impact member or guard ID will now remain in desired position on bumper l l until the legs l3 are again flexed inwardly. At which time, the impact member l0 may be removed from the bumper I I.

As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, it is not necessary in order to carry out the cardinal features of the present invention to thin out the material of the member near its apex. This thinning out of the material of the impact member 10 near its apex [2, however, greatly facilitates the flexing of the legs 13 without detracting appreciably from the impact characteristics of the member.

From the above description, it will be seen that I have provided an extraordinary'simple and yet effective auxiliary impact member or snap-on ornamental grille guard which may be economically manufactured, readily and quickly mounted by an unskilled person on a vehicle bumper, and which-is rugged and reliable in use.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will,*of.coursej, be understood that I do not wish to be limitedtheretosince many modifications may be made and I therefore contemplate by the'appended claims to cover all such scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention: I

1. As an article of manufacture for vehicle bumpers, an accessory adapted to increase the protection afforded by a bumper comprising a single resilient inverted V-shape member having bumper attaching means thereon including a pair of integral teeth on each leg 'of said member adapted to be hooked over and under a vehicle bumper by springing the legs of said member closer together and then permitting them to expand into hooked engagement with said'bumper.

2; As an article of manufacture for vehicle bumpers, an accessory adapted to increase the single resilient inverted V-shape member having bumper attaching means thereon including an obliquely downwardly extending tooth and an obliquely upwardly extending tooth on each leg, the minimum distance between said teeth being greater than the width of the bumper to which said accessory is to be attached, but the vertical distance between said teeth being less than the width of saidbumper, said teeth being adapted to hook over and under a vehicle bumper by flexing the legs of said member together until the distance between said teeth is greater than the width of said bumper.

4. As an article of manufacture for vehicle bumpers, an accessory adapted to increase the protection afforded by a bumper comprising a single inverted V-shape member having bumper attaching means thereon including a pair of integral teeth on each leg of said member adapted tohook over and under a vehicle bumper and to constitute the sole attaching means therefor, the material of said member in proximity to the apex thereof being reduced in thickness, thereby to permit flexing of said member near its apex.

5. As an article of manufacture, a bumper guard having upright sections provided with vertical cut out portions to receive the bumper bar, and lip means constructed and arranged to be angled under pressure into wedged retaining engagement with the bumper guard, said upright sections also being provided with means for effecting said angling of the lip means.

6. As an article of manufacture, a bumper guard constructed to be applied vertically to the bumper bar and to be angled under pressure into wedged retaining engagement with the bar, said guard having angled portions movable in opposite directions to grip the bumper bar and impelled into operative gripping position by pressure applying means. i r

'T. The combination with a bumper bar of a bumper guard apertured to flt over the opposite edgesof the bar, said apertures extending transversely and diagonally of the bar so as to provide two longitudinally offset lip portions for engaging said opposite edges of the bar, said guard also being provided with means for stressing the same to cause said offset lip portions to be wedged into bumper guard retaining engagement with said 

